Alex McMahon, NTP

I graduated from Oregon State University with a BS in Human Development and Family Sciences with a focus in Early Childhood Education and a minor in Business in 2009, after which I began my career as a Preschool teacher.

This was my first exposure to food intolerances and food allergies that the children suffered from, and the special diets that many of them followed. As I learned more about their special diets, I began to question my own eating and how it was affecting me. I had followed the “standard” American diet all my life: lots of whole grains, low-fat foods, tons of sugar and processed foods.

I didn’t always like how I looked or felt, and wondered how much of that was due to my diet. I had the realization that my diet and exercise routines were not working and I needed to make a change.

I began experimenting with different ways of eating to find the framework that made me feel my very best. I found that certain ways of eating were a definite improvement on the “standard” American diet but I still knew I could feel better.

After trying an elimination diet I found that I had negative reactions to dairy, grains, legumes, sugar and soy products. I eliminated these foods, along with any processed foods, from my diet. Within a short time my energy became constant throughout the day, my mood and ability to handle stress were greatly improved, and most of all lifelong digestive issues were all but gone and my weight dropped noticeably, mostly from fat loss.

With the changes, I became curious as to why this way of eating paleo/primal worked and the science behind it. I found the book "The Paleo Solution" by Robb Wolf, which helped to gain a basic understanding of the science behind this diet, but I needed to learn more. From there on out my spare time was spent researching and learning about nutrition and how it interacts with the human body.

I saw people in my life who suffered from the same challenges that I had before changing how I ate, and began talking about the profound changes in my own life and the science behind removing processed foods and eating in alignment with nature.

Reading, researching and talking to people about nutrition became my passion, and I felt fortunate to have found it. I was lucky enough to be able to combine my passion for nutrition and my career as a preschool teacher by helping parents with their children’s eating habits, leading cooking lessons with the kids and teaching nutrition in the preschool.

Along the way I realized my passion for nutrition and helping others could become a career. I came upon the Nutritional Therapy Association and their Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) program, and I knew it was for me. Graduating from the Nutritional Therapy Practitioner provided me with the skills and knowledge to help others using holistic nutrition. Upon graduation, I foundedEvolve Nutritional Therapy LLC.